LHASA -- The Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference issued a statement Saturday, expressing strong indignation at and firm opposition to the United States signing a bill on Xizang.

The so-called "Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act" grossly interferes in China's internal affairs, arbitrarily smears and attacks China's Xizang policies and sends a gravely erroneous signal to "Tibet independence" separatist forces, noted the statement.

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, and Xizang has been an integral part of China since ancient times. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Xizang has eradicated absolute poverty for the first time in history, and seen political and social stability, economic development, ethnic unity and religious harmony, the statement said.

People's happiness is the greatest human right, and it is the people of Xizang who have the most say in this regard, noted the statement. The statement stressed that Xizang affairs are purely China's internal affairs and no external interference will be tolerated.

The statement said the fact that Xizang has been an inalienable part of China since ancient times will never change no matter how the United States confuses right and wrong, and distorts the facts.

"We solemnly demand that the United States abides by its commitment to acknowledging that Xizang is part of China and not supporting 'Tibet independence.'"